The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of historic air and spacecraft. There’s a total of 22 exhibition galleries, offering visitors the ability to view hundreds of different types of artifacts. The Museum is also a research facility, of which all exhibits are focused on the history, science, and technology used to create aircrafts and spacecrafts. As this Museum is one of the busiest in the Washington DC area, visitors are encouraged to arrive early in order to avoid any crowds.

What to See

The list below consists of what visitors must see and explore when visiting this unique museum. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the many available educational programs, as well as the guided tours that are set up with a goal of informing.

Exhibitions. The Museum hosts a number of exhibitions throughout the year, so there’s always something new to see. At any given moment, there’s 25 to 30 exhibitions to explore. Current exhibitions include Aerobatic Flight, Applications Satellites, Clouds in a Bag, Explore the Universe, and Human Spaceflight.

Milestones of Flight. In 2016, the Museum completed its most recent renovation. The expansion focuses on how some of the world’s most important aircrafts and spacecrafts are all connected, and allows visitors to learn using digital displays. The Spirit of St. Louis can be seen here, which is the airplane Charles A. Lindbergh used to perform his first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in 1927.

Flight Simulator Rides. These virtual reality rides allow all ages to learn by interacting. The rides are designed to let visitors have an idea of what it feels like to be in outer space. The latest technologies were used to build the rides, and the virtual reality goggles transport riders into another reality, giving them an idea of what it’s like to be in space.  

Science Demonstrations. 25-minute programs let visitors understand how things fly, in the earth’s atmosphere and in space. Both demonstrations and hands-on learning opportunities are available, and due to the popularity, reservations are recommended. Examples of demonstrations offered include Forces of Flight, Paper Airplane Contest, Space Station Sensation, and Inventing the Airplane.

The Haas Public Observatory. Stargazing using the large telescopes set up in the Observatory provides viewers with views of some of the more spectacular observations in space. Planets and double stars are a common focus, and viewing the sun is even possible under the right conditions. Visitors can choose to explore the observatory during the day, during the night, or both. Viewing can only be done when the weather is clear.

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